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FatDog · 10-15-2016, 01:06 PM

I am 10 weeks into an 8 week Kitchen remodel. Painters are actually working downstairs as I type this.

I decided I needed to break out of my rut of ... 8 meals I know how to cook. I was thinking of doing a "Julie and Julia" - find a cookbook and try to cook every dish. (If I cook 80% of the recipes in a cook book I will be happy.)

Now comes the problem. Many cookbooks are like music cd's - one or two hits and lots of crap fillers. Strange seafood dishes to fill out a category, obligatory pie & cake recipes without explaining techniques like "creaming" and using a pastry cutter to blend in chunks of butter for 1 recipe. This does not work.

I did some research and purchased "How to Cook Everything - The Basics". This is a great book for beginners. But there was a 2 page spread with 4 color photographs on how to boil water. (I am not kidding). I have heard Mark Bittman's other book "How to cook everything" starts with basic techniques, then re-uses them over and over again in later recipes. People say it is one of their most used books. Perhaps that would be a better choice?

I love Americas Test Kitchen books so I bought "Cooking for Two" on my Kindle. For some strange reason the ebooks do not have the same charm/stories/instructions as the tree-books. They are like "abridged" versions which is disappointing.

Below is my notes from searching for "Best cookbooks" with "*" characters if multiple sites recommend the same book. Do any of you have experience with these or can recommend others?

CRITERIA

Need books with 'sane' recipes for 2 adults.
Ingredients from California grocery stores
Open to all ethnic dishes, but hate to have to purchase exotic spices like Star Anis or special sugars/oils/vinegars that work in just 1 dish.
Reduced dairy is the only dietary concern. I tend to reduce cheese in most dishes

The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook - Deb Perelman **
Plenty - Vegetable cookbook - Yotam Ottolenghi *** -- PURCHASED
How to cook everything - Mark Bittman *** -- PURCHASED "The Basics"
A year in my Kitchen - Skye Gyngell

The Science of Good Cooking (Cooks Illustrated Cookbooks) **
Im just here for the food - Alton Brown (Beginners list)
The Cooks Illustrated Cookbook - 2,000 recipes from 20 years
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime

The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook - Americas Test Kitchen -- PURCHASED

Jgelina - Travis Left : California Centric recipes
Big Bad Breakfast - John Currence

10-15-2016, 01:06 PM	#1
FatDog Witless protection Agent Posts: 290 Karma: 1002898 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Los Angeles Device: Kindle	New Kitchen - need cookbook to try every recipe I am 10 weeks into an 8 week Kitchen remodel. Painters are actually working downstairs as I type this. I decided I needed to break out of my rut of ... 8 meals I know how to cook. I was thinking of doing a "Julie and Julia" - find a cookbook and try to cook every dish. (If I cook 80% of the recipes in a cook book I will be happy.) Now comes the problem. Many cookbooks are like music cd's - one or two hits and lots of crap fillers. Strange seafood dishes to fill out a category, obligatory pie & cake recipes without explaining techniques like "creaming" and using a pastry cutter to blend in chunks of butter for 1 recipe. This does not work. I did some research and purchased "How to Cook Everything - The Basics". This is a great book for beginners. But there was a 2 page spread with 4 color photographs on how to boil water. (I am not kidding). I have heard Mark Bittman's other book "How to cook everything" starts with basic techniques, then re-uses them over and over again in later recipes. People say it is one of their most used books. Perhaps that would be a better choice? I love Americas Test Kitchen books so I bought "Cooking for Two" on my Kindle. For some strange reason the ebooks do not have the same charm/stories/instructions as the tree-books. They are like "abridged" versions which is disappointing. Below is my notes from searching for "Best cookbooks" with "" characters if multiple sites recommend the same book. Do any of you have experience with these or can recommend others? CRITERIA Need books with 'sane' recipes for 2 adults. Ingredients from California grocery stores Open to all ethnic dishes, but hate to have to purchase exotic spices like Star Anis or special sugars/oils/vinegars that work in just 1 dish. Reduced dairy is the only dietary concern. I tend to reduce cheese in most dishes The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook - Deb Perelman * Plenty - Vegetable cookbook - Yotam Ottolenghi * -- PURCHASED How to cook everything - Mark Bittman * -- PURCHASED "The Basics" A year in my Kitchen - Skye Gyngell The Science of Good Cooking (Cooks Illustrated Cookbooks) ** Im just here for the food - Alton Brown (Beginners list) The Cooks Illustrated Cookbook - 2,000 recipes from 20 years The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook - Americas Test Kitchen -- PURCHASED Jgelina - Travis Left : California Centric recipes Big Bad Breakfast - John Currence